


Sand

by financedsquash0



Series: Sentinel of Mine [3]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: 100 prompt challenge, Gen, hints of LinkxMarth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:40:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3694355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/financedsquash0/pseuds/financedsquash0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With everyone around him acting crazy, Link tries to find a bit of calm in the only way he really knows how. But of course, no one can leave him alone for more than ten seconds at a time, can they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sand

A pebble. Some sand. A pebble. A rock. More sand.

He could feel the corner of his eyes crinkle as he picked up a small fistful of the material beneath his feet, earthen composites thrown together in an appealing array of size. It alternated between staying in his fingers and falling between like liquid, following the tracks of his palm lines. Brown, tan, auburn red- all colors of the earth beneath his feet cradling his vision. Strange how those colors, passive and stable, could also be found in flames, soft animal fur and leathers, reminiscent of instability and unpredictability that governed his life. Times had once been more simple than journey after journey, fight after fight. There was once a moment he had been able to sit quietly in a pasture of green that a single expanse of brown spectrum could generate, a pinch between his fingers and blowing air softly past the thin blade. A shrill whistle could pierce the air for miles to come, birds and mammals alike coming to the sound as if summoned by him alone, the sun warming skin and fur alike.

One arm extended- another handful- and there would be that reflection of tan, the bristled hairs of the thick animal before him running through fingers with a quiet swoosh. A calm serenity could overtake him here, a deep thrum in his chest settling into a thinly veiled shiver that ran down to his toes. Nothing quite like the sky; quite like the wind; quite like the-

"LINK!"

His hand shook and startled, splashing up a handful of the loose gravel into his face and causing him to sniffle in distaste. He refused to turn around for a moment, sputtering out a pebble or two from between his gums and teeth to be returned to the ground beneath him. His eyes tracked over the land to where a proud form approached, the sun glaring behind the newcomer's back. Even with squinted eyes it was difficult to make out the broad grin stretching his face- but Link didn't have to see it to know it was there. There was no way the man didn't see him sputtering out rocks just a moment ago.

As usual, Ike had come to make his day more hectic.

The mop of unruly blue hair swayed back and forth with his head, Ike taking in the surroundings with a singular quirked eyebrow. "Beach day?" He asked, one hand held up to his brow to block out the sun.

Link stared at him, trying his hardest to keep the mirth and affection from his eyes. Ike had a staggering ability to jump right into the midst of whatever he was doing and somehow make it that much more exciting, as if what he was currently doing could always be misconstrued into an adventure. Case in point, Ike was now shucking off his boots gracelessly and tossing his cape into Link's face, giving him no choice but to catch. "Let's go swimming." Ike stated, crossing his arms to indicate that there was no other choice to be had. "Yesterday, elf."

A quick shake of his head was all Link would need to do to get Ike to back off. He did have his own plans for the day after all, and the mercenary was only interrupting. He would enjoy his company, yes, but he had been hoping for a much more passive day than Ike was presenting. Instead, Link chose to ignore the man in favor of kneeling back down and scooping up a handful of the sand below him, now pooling around his boots from how long he had remained sedentary. It was coarse, just the consistency he was looking for, and he knew with just the right amount of rupees he might be able to convince-

A hand fell on his shoulder, and he felt the muscles in his legs lock in panic. Nearly toppling ass over kettle, Link's arms waved around wildly in the air to catch anything that might hold him upright. A solid form met him and he curled his fingers around it tightly, righting himself with little effort and allowing him to expend most of his effort into the steely glare directed to his side. The mercenary was now squat beside him, his shoulder being that which Link had so desperately snatched, eyes narrowed in concentration at the sand alongside Link's shoe. His grin had only grown as Link watched, a shower of grain pelting the Hylian's miffed face as it fell from the air with no trace of the pattern his arms had flown in. "No swimming then." Ike stated, a sage nod following behind. "Doing what then...skipping rocks?"

A wordless toss of sand into Ike's open mouth caused him to grunt. "So no, then."

Silence drifted around them as Link reached into his back satchel tied around his waist, the brown leather bag swiping with a shuffle across his tunic, and drew out a glass bottle- emptied of all previous contents. One dulled pop and the bottle was uncorked, thumb and forefinger nestling the porous wood between and tossing it to the side with little care. Sand was pushed gently into the neck of the cylindrical glass, Link's fingers pressed together tightly so as to scoop across the shore in rhythmic time to collect as much sand as possible. He could see the wry twist of Ike's lips from the corner of his eye, carefully observing as his hand moved the ground like a fluid thing yet pausing now and again to pluck out a particularly large pebble. A few moments passed of the same, nothing but the sound of waves lapping against the shoreline and the tinkle of glass, before Ike spoke up again. "You know that if you wanted sand we could've just drained the sandbag from the training room?" A glare shot his direction caused Ike to hold his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Just thought I'd mention it for the future. So, how many bottles full do you need?"

'And this is why we get along so well,' Link mused to himself as he displayed three bottles before him, excluding the one in his hand, none of which were filled. Ike sighed and held out an open palm, teasing exasperation making the lines around his eyes deepen in mirth. "Give it here, will you?" His voice held much of the same teasing tone. "Toss out the larger ones, right? Keep the grainy stuff?"

One bottle pressed firmly into his palm was all the response that Ike needed, clasping it and uncorking it abruptly with his teeth. The cork was never removed from between lips, his larger hands pushing a greater quantity of sand into the bottle than Link had been able. He was sorely tempted to use his unusually bare hands to toss some sand into his friend's hair, just to savor the choked off noise of irritation he would receive, but he felt as if he owed it to Ike to be as good a friend as possible over the next few days. He had, after all, been helping him selflessly with his newest endeavors regardless of difficulty or complexity. It wasn't too far of a stretch for him to want to purchase the mercenary a gift, but it seemed like the man next to him knew what he was thinking before he even tried. This was usually followed with an elbow to his ribs and a word about "don't want your money" before the task continued, though in this case he was only shot a well intended glare and smirk. Ike was truly an amazing friend, never judging his silence or asking him why he kept it, and remaining well within reach should he need anything. The mercenary had been well-liked since his first admittance in the previous tourney, and although Link was not without friends he couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy at how easily Ike spoke to others in their living quarters.

A poke to his forehead with a single finger brought him back to the real world, of which his vision was currently obscured of by a massive, cloth bound forehead. "That's a lot of thinking, Link." Ike laughed as he was pushed over backwards, feet flying into the air, by an irate hand. "Come on, is that any way to say thanks to a friend?"

A grunt was all Ike received in response as Link scooped up the now filled bottles, cork already nudged back into the lip of each snugly. It took a moment to tuck them back into place in his pack alongside a small plastic bag of food which the princess had provided him that remained uneaten, and would remain so. He straightened his legs with a pop, extending his arms high above his head in a languid stretch towards the sky, all under Ike's scrutiny. A dismissive flop of his hand and a small nod of thanks was all Link gave as he began to head off the sand and back towards dirt paved roads towards the nearby expanse of building. "Hey wait up!" Ike called, running up behind him.

Ike's heavy footfalls slowed by his side as they walked, though he said nothing more. Link made a point to turn to the man slowly while cocking a questioning eyebrow. "Don't give me that look." Ike stated with his cape now slung over his shoulder and boots crammed messily onto his feet. "You're the one who just up and ran off. Besides, if I don't come with you now then you're just gonna come find me later. I'm guessing that sand is for your next project, so I may as well tag along, right? Plus, you know you like my company."

A smile pulled at the corners of Link's mouth as he walked up the path, Ike close enough to his side that he was able to bump their shoulders together gently in a gesture of gratitude. The hit didn't even sway the larger man, though Link did receive a nudge to his lower arm from a fist in response, equally teasing in kind. They walked in companionable silence a short distance. The forest around them was alive with mammals and avian species alike, some of which Link made sure to point out as they walked so Ike could learn a few names. Of course, having lived for many years in the wilderness with his father, most of the species were already familiar to the man, and Link often found himself shoving the shoulder of his companion in mock exasperation. A clearing of matted down dirt drew ahead on the old dirt path they had been walking, notable only by the break present in the trees as they closed the distance with long strides. "You'll let me know if you need help, won't you?"

Link nodded slowly without turning his head to look at Ike. He knew the mercenary had better things to be doing with his time than accompanying him on his most recent foray of intrigue, though the company had been nice while it lasted. Without another word, Ike's cape swept behind him as he turned around and headed back the way they had come down the path. He supposed Ike didn't know where they were to take a shortcut, but the mansion they inhabited was nearby, exactly parallel from this particular clearing. Had Link wanted to speak out, he may have drawn Ike's attention to this fact. However, the mercenary looked like he'd much rather go out for a walk, preferring either the presence of the Hylian or no one at all.

It appeared that Marth wasn't the only one being driven insane by Link's attempt to fathom the inner workings of the prince's life.

Link could only shrug as he continued into the clearing, two massive figures already waiting for him on the other side of the larger oak trees. Even before the details of the massive stone furnace he had constructed earlier that day came into view, he knew that his newest, if not slightly bribed, companions had been hard at work. Heat blasted him full in the face. He would have been winded from the sudden heaviness in the air had he not been expecting the heat to be at staggering levels at this point, though he could not contain the cringe as he came nearer and nearer to the large persimmon lizard hunched over a miniature apparatus, cylindrical and silvery metal in nature. The heat rose to sweltering levels and Link found himself pausing for a moment to rifle through the pack on his belt. A red tunic was produced, which he swiftly pulled over his head, and felt the effect immediately as the waves of heat rolled off his torso due to the breathable fabric. Unsure of how hot this activity may become, it had been thrown into his bag as an extra precaution.

The fangs of the monster before him gleamed in the light of the afternoon sun. It took him a moment to realize that meant that his presence had been noticed and that the flames spewing from the lizard's mouth had all but ceased. Link nodded his thanks, receiving one in kind as the creature stepped away. With a sidestep, he coiled his hand around a hollow, cool metal rod that he had propped against a tree earlier, using it to hook the lower portion of the rod underneath the barely visible metal tab of the can nestled just beneath the lid and lift it. The super heated container let out a gentle, but violent hiss, and it only took him a moment of having his face and hair far too close to the searing heat to empty the contents of each of his bottles inside, and snap the lid shut with the aid of gravity. Just as soon as the metallic clang resounded through the area, the lizard stepped up once again and released a stream of flames pouring from its mouth onto the cylinder and causing it to shine a crude, angry red.

Link glanced over his shoulder briefly, ensuring that the second form behind him was still at work with the stone furnace before he let a tentative smile on his face. With his plan working in accordance, the whole procedure he was looking forward to accomplishing was within his grasp. Who would have thought that together with a bucket of water- provided from a nearby lake-, Bowser, and Charizard, he might be able to use sand, just plain sand, and create something made of glass? When he had overheard Fox talking about a special brand of glass that was utilized in the production of the StarFox crew's infamous arwings, he had become curious about the process. A small bit of investigating lead to learning of a traditional glass making process, in which sand underwent extreme heat to become molten, and upon cooling would become transparent. Although he had never been good with art forms, typically too busy saving villagers from beasts or warding off Ganondorf, the Hylian had decided to risk his spare time at the tournament trying to develop a new skill that created rather than destroyed.

Feeling the heat in the clearing heighten up to the almost unbearable level it had been when he entered, Link used the same hollow pole to reach out and flick open the container again while it continued to be baptized in flame. Inside where the sand had once been there was now a vibrant, luminous shade of crimson. A single poke with the same metallic rod had the liquid clinging and dripping off, appearing tacky and resilient. A quick twist of the wrist had the material wrapping about itself and heaping up into a large bulb. Spinning slowly, Link move to the secondary furnace that was being powered by Bowser, who was currently down on his hands and knees to continue to provide heat in the form of fire beneath the stone chimney, the large spikes and green shell on his back visible at any angle. The singular hole halfway up the oven spewed flames before it was given the pole and the liquid on the end, controlled expertly by Link's stable hand on the other end. With several quick rotations and a grateful smile to Bowser, the molten fluid was removed once again.

Rolling the fluid through the furnace was not particularly difficult, but Link was slightly nervous to proceed with the next portion of his plan. Bowser had acquiesced prior, but using the koopa king's back to smooth out what was soon to be his first glass-work seemed disrespectful. There was nothing Link wanted to do less than insult his new friend. A huff from Bowser cut those thoughts off and Link gratefully made use of a large, flat plane placed linearly between to spikes to roll the substance out before blowing into the end of the tube in his hands, proceeding to expand the bulb of the molten liquid farther than it had been prior. A little more rolling against Bowser's back and he had managed to create a perfectly symmetrical ball.

Nodding his satisfaction, Link reheated the substance in the furnace to create a more malleable form. He progressed again to rolling out on Bowser's back as gently as possible. Again, he expanded the width of the sphere, adding a ridge or two on his next roll out. His muscles ached with the repetition, pain erupting throughout his upper arms from holding up the rod, and Link could feel the sweat developing across his entire body. The tunic he had dawned specifically for this task seemed to do little for the heat, making the sweat blossom in even greater quantities. It was reminding him a little too much of just how much his preparations for meeting Marth again were equally as useless.

The prince always seemed unpredictable, catching him off guard and surprising him with such simplicities of the way he interacted with the world and the other smashers. It wasn't but a day ago he had watched the man- rather, the teen- surrender two thirds of a pastry to two of the children that had joined them in the tournament the past two years. It was quite possible that the noble prince was one of the only participants who would surrender a gift to someone so small, even if they were considered an opponent. The Goddesses knew how much those children had been through. If their lives could be made even marginally better by the gift of a cupcake then Link could see no reason to interrupt, even if the gift had not been intended for them.

It was then that Link was plagued by a familiar itch. He had to know; had to understand. He wanted to take the challenge sitting before him and unravel all its secrets; understand every intricacy that made up that selflessness and integrity. How was something so sullied by the cesspool around him- marred by bloodshed and war, losses that would make a grown man cry unbidden to the point where the word tarnished did not seem an adequate description- manage to be polished to a gleam? He knew just from a glance that even without the varnished armor and regal blue cottons with gold lining that the prince was cut from a different mold, was something special to behold. It was all he could do not to storm up to the man and demand he speak to him, to expose all of the deepest secrets within his heart so Link could aptly predict his behavior. But that would do nothing to make Marth stop running from him.

At this thought, Link gave the rod a rather violent spin, bits of molten glass flicking off the end. Of course he knew. How could he not? Ever since he had danced with the prince, perhaps a week ago, he was being avoided like he was the most deadly disease on the planet. He had seen the embarrassment color Marth's cheeks, a precious shade of dusting pink that exploited the innocence of the man to all eyes watching. It was only logical that now Marth would avoid him as half the manor saw that event, but Link had hoped that being the person the prince had trusted so much in that vulnerable moment that he would not be perceived as a problem himself.

Wishful thinking.

But still, his urge to understand the prince remained unfulfilled. And with a final plunge of his molten creation into the waiting bucket of water, he swore to himself that until the thirst was quenched, he would not let the prince avoid him forever. Though they were not friends now, they would be. And then, like the sand that coagulated into such a precious gem, the plaguing puzzle would become clear.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thanks again to everyone who is currently reading! Those of who have left a kudo, you've made my day over the last week! If there's something that you don't like, or really enjoyed- such as the length of each story, writing syle, or a character or event you want to see- let me know in a comment in the area below- criticism is welcome as I want to improve my writing style and can't do so without feedback!
> 
> Hope everyone had a good Easter! If you don't celebrate, I hope you at least got the day off of classes or had a good dinner in the mean time. Personally, I was surrounded with family for two days straight and am so ready to hide in my room for the next few weeks.  
> Until next time!  
> ~FinnySquash
> 
> See everyone next time!  
> ~OBK


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